This invention relates to revolvers and other firearms having an external hammer, and in particular to improved safety mechanisms for such firearms.
Firearms of the type to which the present invention relates are those firearms having an external hammer. Such firearms include single and double action revolvers, single shot rifles and shotguns of the breakopen type having an external, manually cocked hammer, lever or pump action repeating rifles and shotguns having an external hammer that may be cocked manually or when the action is worked, and similar single action firearms. The hammer also has a safety notch that is engaged by the sear (or some equivalent element) of the trigger when the hammer is in its safe position out of contact with a cartridge received in the chamber of the firearm. Thus, the hammer may be placed in any one of at least three positions--namely, its firing position at which the hammer and firing pin rest against a cartridge received in the chamber of the firearm, its safety position at which the trigger engages the safety notch formed in the hammer, and its fully cocked position at which the trigger seat engages the sear notch of the hammer. In addition, in the case of a single action revolver the hammer is provided with a loading notch which, when engaged by the trigger, maintains the hammer in its loading position.
The cocked position does not exist in a double-action firearm, since the trigger moves the hammer from its safe position through the cocked position to the firing position in one continuous movement. In such firearms, the sear notch, utilized for singe-action firearms, is not included in the gun design.
The loaded firearm is normally carried with the hammer in its "safe" position at which the safety notch of the hammer is engaged by the trigger. However, the safety notch of the hammer is a point of mechanical weakness in the design of conventional single action firearms with consequent danger of accidental discharge of the firearm if the hammer or trigger are accidentally struck when in its presumed safe position. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a new and accident proof safety and firing mechanism for single and double action firearms which eliminates the potentially dangerous safety notch of such conventional firearms.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved safety mechanism for single and double actions firearms, especially revolvers.
Another object of this invention is to provide such a safety mechanism which also increases the efficiency of the firearm fire action.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide such a safety mechanism which can be incorporated in conventional firearm designs, which enable such firearms to operate in their conventional fashion.
Another object of this invention is to provide such a safety mechanism which is easy to manufacture and assemble and is capable of reliable operation.
Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become more apparent from the following.